Lost
by Tattooed.Mommy.To.Be
Summary: It has been nearly a year since Keiko died. Yusuke is lost. Slowly, he is accepting that he is sinking into a cold oblivion. A one-shot that has become a chapter fic. Warning: YusukexKurama. Please read and review. I don't own YYH. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**_Lost_**

Keiko has been dead for almost a year now. It is unbidden that that thought breaks through my mind. I can't quite remember what I was idly thinking about before that, however. It doesn't matter now, anyway. My thoughts have spiraled downward already. I'm lost, I know this. I realize, even more so now, that she was my sole purpose. Without that purpose, I am at a loss of what to do with myself.

Since the time I learned of my demon heritage, I suppose I always knew, somewhere towards the back on my mind, that this time would come. The time without her. That doesn't make this any easier, though. I can feel the darkness, that was once only at the far corners of my mind, slowly taking over me. I can feel myself slowly, and all too quickly, falling towards complete oblivion.

It was cancer. Isn't it always? To be less vague, it was cancer that took her. Of the things it could have been, it had to be one that would take her slowly. Taking only small pieces at a time. Blissfully easy to ignore at first, and agonizingly impossible to forget by the end. At first, it was just the small things; she couldn't walk for too long at a time, she was more tired than usual, she didn't have such an appetite, she didn't smile quite as much. But then... Then it became more pronounced. She started slipping quicker. I tried not to notice. I tried not to believe it was true. I was a fool.

It was cold that day, the day she was gone. In fact, the temperature and amount of snowfall that week broke records. I couldn't find anything to be more fitting than that. It was, as if, the gods themselves were mourning her loss. Perhaps they were. Or, perhaps it was simply one way she chose to say goodbye. She always did love that time of year, especially if there was enough snow to keep us home together all day.

A humorless, mournful half-smile sweeps over my face. Almost a year. I'm sure she's probably disappointed in me. We had had several conversations, during the time she was sick, about what she wanted from me after she was gone. Don't cry, she would say. Be happy, she would tell me, I want you to be happy. But I cannot. How can I? I'm lost, and the darkness is closing in.

In an attempt to prolong my ever-slipping sanity, I force my thoughts elsewhere. They fall, of course, on my former teammates. Kuwabara, I think with a sigh, is dead, too. Though I'll say this, with much sadness and remorse, I do not honestly know how. Kurama brought me the news days after it happened. He didn't know, either, it seemed. He just shrugged emptily when I asked, and then held me as I wept.

Ah, Kurama. It is him I now long for the most. He always did understand me best. Everyone thought that was Kuwabara, but the fox-boy and I both always knew it wasn't. It was _always_ Kurama. I admit that I might have grown to love him, more than just as my teammate, friend and savior. Perhaps we could have been lovers, but that ship has long since sailed.

Then my thoughts shift, sluggishly, to Hiei. The last time I spoke to him was just after Keiko got sick. It was an interesting meeting, not much has changed for him. There is unspoken agreement between us to get together at least once every ten years or so and catch up. That may seem like a long time, but, to a demon, it's nothing, really. Years are practicality equivalent to weeks, maybe days, in demon-time.

_Almost a year..._ I scream out my agony towards the sky. "Why?" I roar, my whole body trembling. "What the _fuck_ did I ever do to deserve this?" I glare at the dark sky, waiting.

No answer comes, not that I expected much less. Sighing, I get shakily to my feet. I feel the tears streaming down, though I hardly care, at this point. The darkness is here. Right at the edge of my consciousness, closer than it has ever been before. I falling... Kurama...

"You don't deserve this, Yusuke... So why are you doing it to yourself...?" The voice is soft, and there is not even a hint of disappointment or chastising in it. It is just a question.

My head snaps up. I believe I _might _be hallucinating... Perhaps I've slipped further into oblivion than I thought... Nevertheless, I feel my mouth forming a familiar word, though it stumbles over it slightly. "K... Kur... Kurama?" He smiles at me. That small, perfect smile. "You better really be here..." I whisper, more to myself than anything. I take steps towards him, barely walking at first, sprinting by the time I reach him. I lunge into his arms with a agonized cry. "You're really here," I tell him through my tears.

"Yes, Yusuke, I was always here. You just had to look a little harder," he tells me softly.

For a long time, we stand there. Just stand there, in a warm embrace. Perhaps I'm not so lost, after all...

_**Notes:** I believe this is just a one-shot, but please, if anyone would be interested in reading more, comment saying so, and I will continue on it. Feel free to leave any other thoughts in a comment, I enjoy reading them. Thanks. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or its characters. Nor do I claim to. Nor do I make any money off of them. I do, however, own my plot.  
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	2. Chapter 2

_**Lost**_

_Chapter Two_

_"Yes, Yusuke, I was always here. You just had to look a little harder," Kurama tells me softly. __For a long time, we stand there. Just stand there, in a warm embrace. And perhaps I'm not so lost, after all..._

"I..." I try to form words of how I'm feeling at this moment. I find, however, it doesn't seem that I am able.

"Hush, Yusuke. You need not explain anything to me," he whispers gently in my ear. My whole body shivers, ever so slightly. I think I might have forgotten what his presence was like. For the first time in months, maybe even years, I am slightly at peace. It daunting, almost, the way he makes me feel.

Finally, after what may have been eternity for all I was aware, he breaks away from me a bit and moves his hands onto my shoulders. I believe he did for the sole purpose of getting a clear view of my face. Slowly, almost as if he is unsure, which is _not _like Kurama, he reaches a slender hand up and, with the back of it, wipes away the tear tracks on my face. I realize after he lowers his hand, I was holding my breath. I let it out in a rush that I hope sounds more like a sigh than an effect of his touch.

He's still smiling; I try to do the same. But it is much more difficult that I thought it would be, almost as if its a foreign thing for my face to do. And... perhaps it is. Of all the previous years I spent with a cocky smile, these past months have seen no smile whatsoever. Finally, I manage what I believe is a genuine smile. "Kurama," I murmur. "I'm so happy to see you."

He chuckles softly, "I know. I'll admit I've missed you, as well." He sobers up as he continues, "Yusuke..." his tone is so soft I can tell what he is about to tell me is upsetting, though upsetting for him or myself remains to be seen. "I could feel your aura from a few miles away... Would you like to talk?"

I wince, more inwardly than out, and sigh. "I'm... lost, Kurama," I tell him honestly; there is no point in lying to him. "I don't know what to do with myself now."

He closes his eyes. "I know. That's precisely what I felt from you."

"I think... there's something I need to tell you..." I begin.

He realizes I need some assurance to continue for he says, "You may tell me anything, Yusuke, you know that." He opens his eyes again and gazes intently into my own brown ones. Try as I might, I have never been able to keep my emotions from showing within them. I wonder vaguely what particular emotion he can see within them now.

I nod faintly. "I think... No, I know... I love you, Kurama." I wave a hand to stop him from interrupting, which he takes in stride and waits, ever patiently, for me to finish. "I believe I've known that for a while. I just never could..." I trail off, gesturing a hand at nothing in particular and turn away from him.

He sighs, and even though I can't see his face, I believe he's smiling. When I turn back to him, he's gazing thoughtfully up at the dark silhouettes of the trees above us. "Find a way to tell me?" He finishes for me after a long moment.

I nod, though I don't think he even saw it. Once again, I feel the loneliness and darkness creeping forward. I'm afraid that perhaps I should not have said anything. His silence is speaking volumes to me. I can feel the sting of rejection already. I wait, drowning in sorrow, for him speak. But he doesn't for a long time. I turn away again and start walking slowly back towards the rock I had been sitting on before. "I'm sorry," I say offhandedly, not looking back at him. I don't want him to see the agony I'm sure is glaring out brightly from my eyes.

"Yusuke..." he begins. Here it comes, I think with a wince. "I... always knew that." I stop mid-step. "And I..." I hold my breath, waiting for him to finish. "I... love you, too, Yusuke."

My head snaps back to look at him. I can hardly find words adequate to speak, so I stay silent. I think I'm smiling, but, honestly, my thoughts are so jumbled I can hardly think straight. "What?" I whisper.

He smiles at me again as he steps closer. "I love you," he repeats slowly. "And I will not stand by and let you fall into an oblivion of pain. I will be your light in the darkest of places. I will not leave you all alone." He takes one last step forward and extends his hand to me.

As I move to take his hand, I begin to realize something is wrong. With the every step I take, he gets further away, even though he isn't physically moving. "Kurama?" I cry as I begin running towards him. It's no use... I feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. And I've been here before...

"Kurama!" I scream as I jerk awake and into a sitting position. _Just a dream..._ I can't remember a single night over past year that I haven't had that dream. Of Kurama... Drenched in sweat, tears drying on my face, I sigh and pull out a cigarette. As I light it, I enjoy a momentary light-headed feeling as the nicotine rushes through me.

I wonder idly at what point I fell asleep. I believe is was when I first heard his voice. It's been over a year and a half since I last saw him. He called me to say he couldn't make to Keiko's funeral. I could hear the remorse in his voice when he told me this. You know I want to be there for you, he said. I knew that. So, even though I would have traded just about anything for him to be there, I just told him it was alright; that the services were going to be small and simple anyway. Don't worry about it, I told him, in as light a tone as I could manage. I know I probably didn't do such a great job, but he never commented on it.

I close my eyes, taking a long, deep drag off of my smoke. Keiko always wanted me to quit, and I had for a while, until she got sick. They are the only thing that really keeps me sane these days. Kurama used to tease me about it all the time. "As a demon, they hardly pose any threat to your health, at all. So why don't you explain that to her?" he had said once. I had shrugged. Whatever makes her happy, I told him. Just to see her smile, I would do just about anything.

As I take the last inhale off the cigarette and stomp in out on the ground, despair sets in again. This time it's more final, more damning. I realize that Kurama isn't here. Hasn't been here, not for a long time. And that is mostly my own fault. I sigh. Just a dream... I think perhaps my whole _life _has been just a dream. It certainly seems that way now. All the happiness and contentment I once had is gone. Not even a trace is left.

_**To be continued...**_

_**Notes:** Thank you for commenting! As I promised, here is more to the story. You have inspired me to make a chapter-story out of this. Please let me know if this chapter lives up to the first one. Feel free to leave any other thoughts in a review, too, I truly enjoy reading them. Thank you. :) _

_This story may take me a while to work on. I lost my mother to cancer a few months ago, and I wrote this as an 'out' for the feelings I'm having over it. So please bear with me as I move forward while this story, it is a bit painful for me to write. _

_Also, I know that Yusuke sounds a bit out of character, but I felt that since this story takes place several decades after the show, I thought it wouldn't be so far-fetched to make him sound more refined, older. I apologize if that makes this a difficult read for anyone... Let me know if it does, and I can alter it a bit to sound more Yusuke-ish. Hope you enjoyed. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or its characters. Nor do I claim to. Nor do I make a profit off of this story in anyway. I own only my plot, even though I don't make any money off of that, either. ;)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Lost_

_Chapter Three_

_Just a dream... I think perhaps my whole life has been just a dream. It certainly seems that way now. All the happiness and contentment I once had is gone. Not even a trace is left..._

My eyes flicker open. That dream... It always seems so... _real..._ Over and over, for the past 10 months, 3 weeks and 4 days, I have been subjugated to that same dream... Or, perhaps, nightmare. He's always there, lost, lonely, and helpless. So unlike the man I once knew. And yet... each time I wake, I find I'm more worried than the day before. Is this a sign? I cannot help but wonder. Something that should propel me into action?

This is all my fault, of course. However... I simply cannot get him out of my head. This is the precise reason I could not bring myself to attend Keiko's funeral. For the last half-century I have know the boy, Keiko had always been there, waiting in the wings, so to speak. Effectively ceasing any feelings I had for him. Only, the longer I believed this, the more I realized they hadn't ceased at all. By using his wife as a vindication, I was, efficiently but merely, shrouding my feelings for him, as something like companionship. I've effortlessly fooled everyone, especially him. There is an extremely valid truth behind why I am known as such a renowned thief and fox.

I sit up and gracefully swing my long, slender legs over the side of the copious bed. Laying my head in my hands, I try to overcome these emotions. I fail miserably. _Yusuke..._ No, I mentally chastise myself. If I have been able to go on for this long, surely, _surely, _I can continue. What is _wrong_ with me? For one of the first instances in my entire existence, which is quite extensive I might add, I find I have absolutely no grasp on my tempestuous emotions or what to do about them. I wonder how he is able to make me feel this way. Does he even realize what he does to me? No. I am certain about that, at the very least. I have ensconced it away much too well, occasionally even from myself.

I close my eyes as a sudden, and all to familiar, presence flutters across my awareness. Terrible timing, as usual, I think dryly. I glance over to the window. It is not closed, latched or otherwise obstructed, efficiently creating an opening for him. Nothing to stop him from interrupting my stewing, not even a pane of glass. With a sigh, I move to stand beside it. Looking down, I wait, with some irritation and impatience, for him to make himself known. It doesn't take long.

"Fox," he calls from the ground, looking up and nodding slightly to me.

"Hello, Hiei," I return with little effort.

"Yomi's guards are rather irritating, so I'm omitting the front entrance," he informs me, quite unnecessarily.

"How thoughtful of you," I deadpan, not alleviating him of my unwavering gaze as he flits lightly up the tree and lands effortlessly on the windowsill before me.

"I felt him last night," he informs me slowly and quietly.

So, that's why he's here... I conclude silently. "Who is 'he'?" I ask, careful to maintain a light tone, though there is a sudden sinking feeling in my lower abdomen. "Who did you feel?"

He glares at me. "Who do you think, Fox?" he asks me snappishly. "I know damn well you aren't _nearly _as dense as you're currently pretending to be."

"You felt Yusuke, did you not?" Though my tone is a slightly inquiring one, it isn't a question. He apparently realized this for there is a pause in which he does not bother crafting a response. "He is... taking his current situation with difficultly, isn't he?"

Hiei doesn't answer immediately. "I can feel the darkness festering in his soul, Kurama..." His Jagan glows for a moment underneath the white headband covering it. He finally meets my eyes again, his own crimson ones filled with emotion, an extreme rarity for him, even now. "I doubt it's necessary to tell you that something needs to be done... By you, preferably."

"Indeed," I reply carefully. This is all fine and well to speak of, but... Where do I begin? How do I find him? Most importantly, what do I say to him?

_ That you love him, _an irritating voice hisses through my mind immediately. I glare darkly at a dead patch of grass over Hiei's shoulder. Oh, certainly, I think, my inner dialog laced thickly with sarcasm. The great, infamous Yoko Kurama admitting a obsessive love for an old teammate. Admitting said teammate dominates any and all logical reasoning. _Infatuated..._ _weak... pathetic..._ I mentally berate myself. _But __you __**need**__ him, _that _god-damned_ voice counters. I shake my head, on the verge of losing every final ounce of composer I currently maintain. I look back at Hiei. "And what did you have in mind?" I ask him, quite a bit more venomously than I had intended.

He scoffs at me. "Hn, why don't you use that wily brain of yours?" Then he is gone.

"Remarkably unhelpful, as usual," I mutter icily, my acidic gaze remaining on the windowsill. Though I haven't throughly settled on exactly what course of action would currently be most beneficial, I throw out my senses. While I am fully aware that I most likely will not be able to feel him, I cannot deny it is worth the minute effort. For an agonizingly prolonged amount of time, there is nothing, no trace of him, whatsoever. Then, all of a sudden, there very much _is_ something... The feeling fleetingly sears across my consciousness. "Yusuke...?" His name falls from lips before I even hardly realize it, even though I am well aware he cannot hear me.

The trace of him is gone before I can obtain a steady lock on it, but I know what direction to travel. Obviously, he isn't cloaking his energy trace, so I have no qualms about my ability to locate him so long as I simply follow that unmistakable trail. My shoulders heave in an exhausted sigh. First, a shower and a change of clothes. Then... Yusuke. I just hope he is still... I forcefully shove that thought from my mind before I can finish it. _Yusuke. Is. Fine._ I repeat to myself, several times over. Though I know, in the more intelligent part of my brain, I do not wholeheartedly believe that.

In less time than it normally would have taken me to complete those two rudimentary tasks, I find myself sprinting as quickly as I am able in the direction I had felt his energy signature earlier. The further I become from Yomi's fortress, my current haunt, I discover I am able to detect him. As I approach, I am _extremely _cautious in concealing my emotions. This had become second nature to me, and I achieve it almost without effort. Though, for once in an excessively long time, I am suddenly unable to prevent my breathing from accelerating, and that has nothing to do with the pace of my journey.

I am now so close, I can smell him. Virtually taste him. It is... intensely overwhelming. Whereas a moment ago, I couldn't manage to calm my breathing, currently, I can scarcely inhale at all. _Dear gods..._ This cannot actually be happening to me, I absently grumble mentally. _Oh, but it is._ That voice again dares to speak. I determine Yusuke can be no further than the tree-line directly in front of me. I slow my pace considerably, and move absolutely silently though the thick greenery until I am finally able to see him.

He isn't looking my direction, however, I find myself transfixed upon him. I can't look away; I simply... _cannot_ look away. His lithe body is ever the same as last I saw it; perfection itself. His dark hair is rather unkempt, but this fact seems only to make it more irresistible. He is wearing a lose-fitting tee-shirt and a pair of dark, though faded, blue jeans. From my vantage point, I am also able to glimpse at his eyes. Looking at them, I realize too late, is a mistake, for now I am even further mesmerized than I was previously. Those chestnut orbs are quite easily my favorite feature of his. They contain a youthful light that shimmers brighter than any star I have ever laid eyes on. They betray his every emotion effortlessly. I admit gazing into them with my own, unreadable, ones is a guilty indulgence of mine.

I am well aware of the fact that I need to make myself known him, preferably sooner rather than later. Just another moment, I plead silently. It's been quite some time since I've seen him, and the very sight of him is absolutely intoxicating to me. I want nothing more than to sink into those strong arms of his, and then make him beg me for mercy. This thought passes through my mind without any conscious acquiesce on my part. There is another... _sensation_... I suddenly am made aware of, also. "Fuck," I breath, dragging my gaze away from him. Adjusting my arousal with no small amount of frustration, I prepare to step through and face him.

Before I am able to however, I am, without any warning, simultaneously doused and surrounded by his power as he releases it in a vast rush. The confusion, loneliness, and agony within this release in tangible in the air as he roars at the sky, "Why? What the _fuck_ did I ever do to deserve this?" My breath dies in my throat. _The dream..._ I do not, for even one instant, believe this is anything but reality. However... _how_...?

I know vividly what I will say even before I even give it any thought. My words are gentle, I'm not scolding him, far from it. I allow my sorrowful emotions to be betrayed as I murmur, "You don't deserve this, Yusuke... So why are you doing it to yourself...?"

_**To be continued...**_

_**Notes:** This Kurama's Point Of View. I struggled slightly trying to capture Kurama's natural fluency with words and thoughts. I hope I did it fairly well; do not hesitate to let me know if I accomplished that. I have decided the POV will switch back and forth between these two. Let me know if you find this irritating or difficult to read. Thank you for commenting! Please let me know if this chapter lives up to the first ones. Feel free to leave any other thoughts in a review, too, I truly enjoy reading them. Thank you. :) _

_This chapter was somewhat inspired by the song "Over and Over" by Three Days Grace._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or its characters. Nor do I claim to own them. Nor do I make a profit off of this story in anyway. Not sure if this is necessary, but I do not own the song "Over and Over," either. I own only my plot, even though I don't make any money off of that, either. ;)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Lost_

_Chapter Four_

_ I know vividly what I will say even before I even give it any thought. My words are gentle, I'm not scolding him, far from it. I allow my sorrowful emotions to be betrayed as I murmur, "You don't deserve this, Yusuke... So why are you doing it to yourself...?"_

Yusuke doesn't look at me. "I'm fucking sick of this dream," he says softly, tears evident as his voice shakes. His shoulders hunch and he pulls out a cigarette. After he lights it, he lets out the smoke with a sigh.

"Yusuke," I step hesitantly toward him. "This isn't a dream..." He still doesn't turn to face me. With no other idea of what to do, I continue speaking to him, hoping I'll somehow convince him. "Hiei... came to see me this morning. He told me..."

He finally casts a lingering glance in my direction, misery evident in his brown eyes. "This isn't usually how it goes..." He tells me softly. "The dream, I mean. It never happened this way."

"That is because this isn't a dream," I repeat gently. Once, a lifetime ago, it seems, those eyes would dance happily, catching all light around them. Now, however, they are callous, apathetic and somber. His smirk is humorless and mournful. He, himself, is listless and warily avoiding my touch. "Yusuke," I murmur his name softly, willing him to trust me. "This isn't a dream." I tell him again, slowly. He closes his eyes, and I snatch this opportunity to pull him into an impervious embrace.

The effect of my touch on him is immediate. His shoulders begin shaking with sobs, and the shoulder of my shirt is soon sodden. I hold him tighter as he more throughly disintegrates, writhing and thrashing in my arms. I hold him more securely in fear of what will happen if I dare slacken my support. I have no doubt he will not remain standing.

Suddenly, I nearly do drop him, or rather am forced from him. He has now lost all control of himself, and his energy releases in a rush of power so strong, I'm nearly sent flying. "Yusuke!" I shout at him, trying to bring him back to reality. He needs to bring his energy back under control. Screaming his name, shaking him, nothing seems to reach him. Not even slightly. So I am forced back to holding him as tightly as I am able, hoping he'll wear himself out soon. If not... I'll have to forcefully stop him. Before one of us, most likely him, is seriously injured. "Yusuke, please!" I try one last time.

His eyes snap onto mine. They widen. "Get... away... from-me!" He gasps, trying to force me away. "Get-get away!" I realize there's nothing else for it. I let go. He staggers back all of two steps before he collapses. For one single moment, I'm at a loss. He turns on his side, pulling his knees as closely to his chest as he can. "Go now," his voice is so quiet, I nearly don't here it. "I cannot... handle you leaving... one more time..." He can barely speak through his panting and trembling.

"I'm not going to leave," I reassure him firmly.

"You... always... leave." He's crying again.

"Not this time," I again forcefully attempt to reassure him. Slowly, not intending to startle him further, I kneel beside him. "Not this time," I repeat in a whisper, gently stroking his matted, damp hair away from his face.

"Fine, usually you disappear anyway after I say this: I love you, Kurama. I always have. I probably always will. I known for a while, just could never find a way tell you. Then you say-"

"That I always knew that. And that I love you, too, Yusuke. That I will not stand by and let you fall into an oblivion of pain. That I will be your light in the darkest of places. That I will not leave you all alone." I've finally got his attention. Either he does believe me now, or I've further hindered my cause. I'm leaning towards the latter until he finally speaks.

"You... you've had that dream, too...?" His soullessly dark eyes are wide with I believe is disbelief.

"Every night," I whisper. "Now," I continue a bit louder, "wouldn't I already be leaving by now?" He nods vaguely, reaching out to touch me. He still doesn't seem to wholly believe. I give him a rueful smile. He acts so much like a beaten child sometimes, honestly, it frightens me.

He turns away as he sits up. "Fuck, I'm such a fool," he tells me, though he damningly refuses to meet my concerned gaze. "You must be disgusted. I've spent the whole time you've been here in tears... like a_ child_." He hisses the last word with such abhorrence it's as though it physically makes him ill to utter it. Ah, I think, and here's the anger. This, I have discovered after knowing Yusuke for more than fifty years, is just how he masks the pain. It's almost denial, but at least he allows himself to feel any emotion at all. It also reminds me of Hiei. The anger, disgust and hatred of his words were much like the emotions the fire demon would be emitting.

The half-demon sitting beside me has lapsed into a tormented silence. I take advantage of this by making an attempt at soothing him. "No, Yusuke, you do not disgust me. Not in the slightest." He responds with a very Hiei-like snort. I move a hand, hesitantly, to his shoulder. He doesn't brush or shrug it off, which I take as a positive sign.

"I... am sorry, Kurama. You know how I am." He glances at me, giving me a glimpse of the most helpless and hopeless half-smile I believe I've ever seen him give, before continuing, "I'm tired... So very tired." He sighs, moving a hand onto my own on his shoulder. "I do... love you, fox-boy," he chuckles, a small, but genuine, smile tipping up his lips.

"And I, you, Yusuke."

I gaze at him for a long time. I want to take in every detail of him, in this moment. The boy he was once, when we first met, is long gone now. He is a man. I believe he is more mature than anyone truly gives him credit for. Though he can still occasionally act like a child, he is far from one. Of all those who believed in him, no one wholly saw what I did. A leader, right from the start. A true, rightful leader, in every sense of the word. For a long time, leadership, intelligence and insight, he had left to me. No longer. The wisdom I acquired from thousands of years in Demon World, and some in Human World, he learned in half a century. Though the extent of my knowledge is greater, as so many other things about Yusuke, he skipped all the irrelevant details and walked away with what was most important.

In his years alive, he has seen much more than any others ever will, myself included, perhaps. By the ripe age of 15, he had already witnessed death, destruction, pain, misery, hopelessness, trial, error and heartbreak. By now, I doubt the true hardships of his life can even be fathomed, except for those chosen few who experienced them with him. I am one those so fortunate. In living through it all, at his side, I have realized, somewhere along the way, I grew to love him. He was, and is, my ally, partner, pupil, teacher, leader and, most importantly, friend. He is my friend. And, with any luck, he will also be more than that. I believe, he already is.

"And I, you."

_**End...**_

_**Notes:** I believe this is the end... I had planned to write more, but for now, I like where this stops. I apologize that this chapter took so long to get out. I hit a bit of a block. This Kurama's Point Of View. I struggled slightly trying to capture Kurama's natural fluency with words and thoughts. I hope I did it fairly well; do not hesitate to let me know if I accomplished that. Thank you for commenting! Please let me know if this chapter lives up to the first ones. Feel free to leave any other thoughts in a review, too, I truly enjoy reading them. Thank you. :) _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or its characters. Nor do I claim to own them. Nor do I make a profit off of this story in anyway. I own only my plot, even though I don't make any money off of that, either. ;)_


End file.
